Who We Are

Our Administration

Our leadership team collaborates to ensure we are always striving toward excellence and enriching our environment. Our strategic direction focuses on instilling a love for Judaism and Torah, providing a platform for each of our students to actualize his or her potential, and making a Modern Orthodox Jewish education available to everyone who wants one, whenever we can.

Dr. Josh Levisohn, our Head of School and Acting Upper School Principal grew up in the Boston area where he attended the Maimonides School. He studied at Yeshivat Sha’alvim in Israel, before earning his undergraduate degree from Harvard University. Enjoying the life of a student, Dr. Levisohn continued his education at Harvard and obtained a PhD in Jewish History in 1999. At the same time, he began teaching at Akiba Hebrew Academy in suburban Philadelphia, where he eventually became the Principal of Jewish Studies. Dr. Levisohn moved to DC area in 2006 and lives with his wife, Lisi, and their three children in Silver Spring.

Rebecca Gautieri, ourPreschool Director, grew up in the Washington area in a family that was always active in the Jewish community. She earned her Bachelors degree in Nursing from Boston University. She completed Early childhood lead teacher training with the State of Maryland. She is an active participant in the Jewish Federation's Early Childhood Directors' Council and with the first alumni cohort of the Jewish Early Childhood Education Leadership Institute. She has recently begun a new Community of Practice of Orthodox Early Childhood leaders from around the country. Morah Rebecca lives with her husband Joe in Olney, Their three grown children all attended Berman.

Rachel Handloff, our Lower School Principal, grew up in Farmington Hills, Michigan where she attended Hillel Day School. Rachel graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology and a minor in Judaic Studies from the University of Michigan. After a one-year fellowship at University of Michigan's Hillel, Rachel moved to Maryland to be the full time youth director at Congregation Beth El in Bethesda, MD. While working at Beth El, Rachel attended The Johns Hopkins University and graduated with a Master of Science in Counseling. Rachel was a middle school guidance counselor at The Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School and The Potomac School prior to joining Berman in 2009 as the Lower School Guidance Counselor. Rachel lives with her husband Rich and daughters Hannah and Sophie in Rockville.

Suzy Israel, our Lower School Principal, was born in Israel and raised in Toronto, Canada. She attended Midreshet Moriah in Jerusalem after High school. She obtained her BA from York University in Toronto, after which she returned to the teachers’ program at Midreshet Moriah for an additional year. Suzy earned her MA from State University of New York while living in Rochester NY. While in Rochester, Suzy taught 3rd Grade in an elementary school as well as resource classes in a girls’ high school. Since moving to Maryland in 2003, Suzy has been an Educational Support Services teacher and Director at our school. Suzy is passionate about finding the appropriately challenging educational program to meet the academic and spiritual needs of every Jewish child. She lives in Kemp Mill with her husband and children.

Rabbi Moshe Shields, our Middle School Principal, grew up in

Toronto among hockey fans. He graduated from Ner Israel high school and went to Bais Yisroel Yeshiva in Israel. Upon returning to the States, Rabbi Shields studied at Ner Israel Rabbinical College in Baltimore and at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. After marrying his wife Rachael, Rabbi Shields received a Masters in School Administration Loyola University in Chicago. Moshe, Rachael, and their five children live in Olney, Maryland.

Batsheva Atlas, our Middle School Dean of Students,was raised in Baltimore and graduated from Stevenson University. She received state certification in Special Education from Goucher College. Mrs. Atlas was previously a guidance counselor at Bais Yaakov Middle School and vice principal of the boys' division of Yeshivat Rambam. She lives in Baltimore with her husband and children and enjoys baking, painting scenery, reading historical fiction and watching musicals.

Rabbi Shimmy Trencher, our Rabbi Moshe H. Levinson Associate Princial, grew up in West Hartford, Connecticut, attending the Bess & Paul Sigel Hebrew Academy followed by Yeshiva University High School for Boys (MTA). He then studied at Yeshivat Ohr Yerushalayim in Israel before earning an undergraduate degree in computer science from Yeshiva College. After working as a computer programmer, Rabbi Trencher shifted his focus to Jewish youth and became Assistant Director of New England Region NCSY, a position that he held for seven years. He then earned a master’s degree in social work from University of Connecticut and began working at Hebrew High School of New England (HHNE), where he served for ten years in the roles of teacher, Coordinator of Student Life, School Social Worker, and Dean of Students. Together with his wife, Stacey, and their three children, Rabbi Trencher recently has moved to Silver Spring, and is excited to join the Berman team.

Faina Stepensky, our Finance Director, was born in Kiev, Ukraine on Yom Kippur. She moved to Moscow, Russia after getting married and attended Moscow University. She graduated with a Bachelors Degree in English and a Masters Degree in Economics. She immigrated with her family to the United States in 1979. She worked as the finance director for The Cardiovascular Research Foundation in Washington, D.C before coming to Berman in August of 1999. She is a veteran among the Berman senior administrative team members. Faina lives in North Potomac, MD with her husband. They have 2 wonderful children of whom they are very proud; their son is a physician at Shady Grove Hospital and their daughter is a program director at a day program for adults with disabilities.

Jennifer Zukerman, our Director of Institutional Advancement, was born and raised in Southeastern Virginia. She obtained her BA from George Mason University, after which she spent a year learning at Nishmat in Jerusalem. She was working toward a MA in Psychology when she turned her attention to Jewish communal service. After moving to Maryland Jennifer worked for the Hillel Center for Jewish Life at the University of Maryland for 3 years and developed a very favorable impression of the Berman Hebrew Academy graduates she met there. In 2002, Jennifer joined Berman as the Director of Development, where she filled roles both in development and in marketing/communications. In 2014, Jennifer became our first Director of Institutional Advancement, with responsibilities focusing on marketing, communications, admissions, building use, and external affairs. She lives with her family in Silver Spring, and she and her husband are proud to have three children currently enrolled at Berman and one who has graduated.